What do the commentators say is the message/meaning behind the miracles in Egypt?For example, i heard an explanation that the reason God turned the River into blood was to show that God had power over the Nile. So i'm looking for more explanations on what the miracles are supposed to say/represent. Please cite your sources, and if you could have them in Hebrew and English it would be the most helpful. To be more specific, i'm looking for broad treatises about the miracles as a whole.

I think splitting this into 10 different questions is a good idea. Were my vote not binding I'd use it to VTC as Too Broad.
– Double AA♦Jan 11 '16 at 23:28

i would imagine there are some treatises that are generally about the plagues as a whole, rather than as comments to each one individually
– AaronJan 11 '16 at 23:30

If you seek treatises on all 10 you should ask for that, but you haven't here. If there are such treatises, they can easily be posted as a source for 10 different answers. Shulchan Arukh, for instance, is used to answer many halacha questions around here.
– Double AA♦Jan 11 '16 at 23:31

@Aaron If you are asking about explanations for the plagues in general (on a macro level), it would be good to clarify that in the question. Otherwise, asking about what any commentators say about any or all of the individual plagues seems too broad.
– FredJan 11 '16 at 23:33

1

I recommend removing "but would not turn down anything that was specific" to keep the question focused.
– Isaac Moses♦Jan 12 '16 at 14:19

1 Answer
1

Rav Hirsch groups the plagues as shown in the Hagadah as three groups. He groups them in three rows each with three columns and explains both the rows and the columns and explains in וארא 7:15

...דצך remedy Egyptians from the erroneous ideas of גרות עבדות ועינוי by the revelation of Hashem's Power and Almightiness on
water and land אדש by the revelation of Hashem's Power and
Almightiness on the living inhabitants of the land, and באחב on the
air which encompasses land and people.

The first plague of each group of three are under גרות.

he whose stay in a country is dependent on the goodwill and tolerance
of others.

The second of each group is under עבדות which destroys the two main ideas

which fill the breast of the slave owner with the conceit that his
superiority over a slave is justified, a) the idea that he belongs to
an altogether higher order of beings and b) the idea of the haughty
superiority due to power and riches.

The third of each group come under the heading of ענוי.

And what it means to lead a harassed, painful, and starving life was
taught by the corporal plagues.

As we have observed, the first two plagues of each group were rather
more to teach a lesson and only the third was a punishment, and that
was why the two first ones only came after having been announced
beforehand.

There is much more that follows and he explains each plague and how it connects to this general reasoning. However, it is too long to go into here. See the commentary in the Hirsch Chumash in Parshiyos וארא and בו.